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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

HENRY T. SISSON, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

PORTFOLIO.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 18,994, dated December 29, 1857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY T. SIssoN, of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Portfolios; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a side view of my improvement. Fig. 2, is an inner view of ditto the port-folio being fully opened. Fig. 3, is a section of ditto taken in the line Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention consists in a peculiar means of securing sheets in the portfolio whereby loose sheets may be secured therein and new ones added from time to time as may be desired, the sheets being as firmly secured between the covers as the leaves in a book bound in the ordinary way, the invention preserving, and at the same time allowing to be used music, engravings, newspapers &c., equally as well as if they were bound in book form and at the saine time permitting any of the sheets to be detached, as well as new ones added with the greatest facility.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A, A, represent the two sides of the portfolio. These sides may be constructed in the usual way, and of any of the materials now used for such purposes.

To the back edge of each side A, A, a metallic strip (a) is attached see Fig. 3. These strips may be constructed of metal plate and secured within the covering of the boards forming the sides so that flexible connections are obtained as shown at (b), the sides A, A, being allowed to move independently of the strips.

The sheets (c) are placed between the sides A, A, their back edges being between the strips or plates (c) (a) and cords (cl) pass through the back edges or parts of the sheets and transversely through the strips or plates (a) (a). To one end of each cord (d) a needle (c) is attached in order to allow the cords to be passed through the sheets. These needles pass through perforations in one of the strips or plates (a) and by being turned at right angles with the perforations as shown in Fig. l, retain the cords at one end. The needles being slotted at one end and the cords being attached to one side of the needles to allow them to be turned as described see Fig. l. The opposite ends of the cords are attached to slides B. These slides are constructed of metal and each fitted in a metal guide O, attached to the inner side of one of the sides A, see Figs. 2 and 3. The guides C, are merely metal strips or plates, having their edges bent or swaged upward and horizont-ally inward to receive the edges of the slides B. To one edge of each slide B a spring is attached, and at vthe opposite edge of each a projection (g) is formed see Fig.` 2. The projections fit in a rack (7L) made at one side of each guide C, by perforating the bent edges at equal distances apart and the projections are kept in the racks by the spring From the above description of parts it will be seen that the cords (d) may be strained as taut as desired by drawing outward the slides B in the direction indicated by arrow l, the slides being retained in proper position in consequence of Vthe projections (g) -being kept in gear with the racks (h) by the springs In order to add a sheet to the portfolio the slides B are lowered or moved backward as indicated by arrows Q, and the needles (c) are slipped or passed back through the perforations in the strip or plate (c) and then through the back edge of the sheet to be attached to or secured within the portfolio. The needles are then again passed through the strip or plate (a) and turned as before and the slides B moved outward as before as indicated by the arrows l, so as to draw the cords (d) taut and firmly clamp the back edges of the sheets between the strips or plates. A sheet may be detached of course in the same manner, that is, by turning the cords and passing the needles through the strip or plate so that the sheet may be taken off the cords.

Three cords are shown in the drawings, but more may be used if desired, three however, will probably be sufficient.

I would remark that recesses (a) may be formed in one of the strips or plates (a) to receive the needles (c) so that the saine may be iiush or nearly so with the outer s1de of the strip or plate, see Fig. 3.

10 to the slides B, fitted or placed Within the guides C, or any equivalent device for tightening the same, and the opposite ends attached to needles (e) Which pass through perforations in one of the strips (a) substantially as shown and described for the 15 purpose set forth.

HENRY T. SISSON. Witnesses:

THos. A. DOYLE, STURGIS PEARCE. 

